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Vienna is the capital and the largest city of Austria, and is known as the 'City of Music'. This is because it's famous for the composers that have lived here, including Mozart and Beethoven, and its impressive State Opera House. It has a thriving coffee house scene, and you can't visit the city without trying sacher torte, an Austrian type of chocolate cake.

It's a charming city with beautiful buildings and stunning architecture. It's also home to many parks, so visiting Vienna in the summer is ideal to see all of the bright flowers.

Here are 12 things you must see and do in Vienna, Austria:

1) Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens
On the outskirts of the centre of Vienna is Schönbrunn Palace. The palace has over 1,400 rooms and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. The gardens are free and open to the public, and tours are also available to explore a selection of the rooms inside the palace. It takes roughly an hour to walk to from the city centre, or you can take bus 10A to Schönbrunn Station.

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2) Schönbrunn Zoo

This quirky apartment block in Vienna shouldn't be missed! It's one of the most interesting pieces of architecture in Austria, and is incredibly unique.



4) Ride the Wiener Riesenrad
For a unique view of the city, take a ride on Vienna's Giant Ferris Wheel. There are also other permanent fairground rides in the same park.




5) St. Stephen's Cathedral
In the centre of Vienna is the incredible St. Stephen's Cathedral. You can head up to the top of the Tower Room for an amazing view of the city.



6) Try Sacher Torte
Head to a nearby cafe and try sacher torte, an Austrian type of chocolate cake. I'd recommend either visiting Cafe Mozart or Hotel Sacher Wien, both of which are near the State Opera House.



7) Spanish Riding School
Vienna's Spanish Riding School is one of the world's most famous riding schools. If you're very lucky you can see one of the performances, but events sell out fast so be prepared to book well in advance. There is also the option of watching the morning exercises, which isn't as pricey.



8) Rathaus
Wiener Rathaus is Vienna's city hall and is a beautiful piece of Neo-Gothic architecture.

9)  Museumsquartier
Even if you have no interest in visiting museums, head to this area of the city for a wander as the buildings are incredible.



10) Austrian Parliament Building
Another impressive building is the Austrian Parliament Building. Visitors can take a guided tour of the building which provides information into the day-to-day work that goes on here.



11) Karlskirche 
Karl's Cathedral is beautiful, and has an observation deck for another great view of the city.



12) Naschmarkt
Naschmarkt is the oldest market in Vienna and has a wide variety of stalls selling the most amazing food. Go here hungry!

Spending more time in Europe?
If you're looking to spend a little longer in Austria, then I would suggest spending a couple of days in Salzburg. From Vienna it's only a two and a half hour train journey, and the views along the way are beautiful.

You might like: A Mini Guide To Salzburg, Austria

If you're wanting to visit another European country, you could spend some time exploring Bratislava, or even Prague, as both cities are incredibly easy to get to.

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